304 Slaughter Avenue Project

Documentation Report
Jack Nelson 12.12.17
Introduction
For this project, I was given the task of designing a house for a site on 304
Slaughter Avenue. This project had three main constraints: the house has to fit on the
site, and at least two universal design features should be incorporated, as well as as
two green/sustainable features. My design was heavily influenced by modern style
architecture, and that can be seen with my use of geometric lines, very large windows,
and open space.

Site Analysis
This particular site,
(304 Slaughter Ave) is
located between two pre
existing structures. There is a
residence located to the
northwest, and a condo
complex to the southeast.
The prevailing winds come
from the south and
southwest, which can be
used to my advantage for
cooling. The house must be
designed around the extreme hot and cold temperatures for the area, which are 98 and
24 degrees fahrenheit. The site is primarily very flat, however there is a small slope at
the entrance of the site.

Site Plan
For this site, I will be prioritizing
the size of my backyard. I did this to
make room for a pool (which was
removed due to time constraints), while
also leaving ample room for other
activities. To maximize space, I had to
remove the trees that were up against
the back fence. However, while my
backyard is big, I needed to leave room
for a front yard. To maximize the front
area, I had to sacrifice some length of
my house, but that had little overall
impact on my floor plan.
Floor Plan Analysis
I was heavily inspired by modern architecture, and
that can be clearly seen in my floor plan. The front area of
my house contains a bathroom, garage, closet, and
office, all of which are branching off the main hallway.
However, past those rooms and the stairs, the house
really opens up. The kitchen, dining room, and living room
are all contained within one large room, which flows much
better than one long hallway, and gives the
resident/guests room to breathe and move.
The second floor is primarily living space,
containing the master bed and bathroom, a second
bedroom and bathroom, laundry room, media room, and
a very large upper deck. Since this area is primarily used
for living space, and not hosting, the main traffic area is
much less open than the first floor. While the walking area
is cramped when compared to the first floor, each room is
very spacious. This is best seen in the media room, which
is the largest single function room in the house. I chose to
do this in order to fit as much seating as possible, as well
as leave room for the ​cube desk of Xer’Qualkutan, the
single most powerful desk ever created.
I chose to include a very large upper deck for two
main reasons: due to the size of my footprint, I was
having trouble filling all the space on my second floor,
and including outdoor space is great for entertaining
guests.
The influence of the modern style can be seen in
almost all of my rooms, most noticeably with the
extremely large windows. For example, the windows in
my office and living room cover almost the entire wall they
are installed on. I chose to maximize window area to
emphasize natural light, which creates more relaxed
workspaces, saves on energy costs, as well as
compliments the interior of my house.
LEED Credits and Sustainable Design
Considering today’s climate, I felt it was necessary to decrease environmental
impact as much as possible. Elements of sustainable design can be seen in my design
through the inclusion of solar panels, as well as large windows, which decrease the
need for lights during the daylight hours. However, the lights will have to be used at
some point, so I chose to use energy efficient lights that decrease the overall energy
cost.
LEED is an organization founded by the US Green Building Council, and stands
for the leadership in energy and environmental design. LEED provides guidelines to
reduce the carbon footprint of homes, and recognizes achievement through 8 credits. I
would like to apply for indoor environmental quality, as well as energy and atmosphere.
While I am not able to measure environmental quality in Revit, my choice to use energy
efficient lights, as well as maximize natural light shows that my design qualifies for the
energy and atmosphere credit.

Universal Design
Universal design means that the
design of a building accommodates
everyone. The federal disability acts require
all building, especially homes, to be
completely accessible for people with
disabilities. My design implements several
elements of universal design, most
prominently through the very wide
hallways, accessible appliances, and ample
wheelchair space for opening and closing
doors.

Foundation Cost
Obviously, every house needs a strong
foundation, and for this project, I chose to use a
concrete pad. The concrete pad is perfect for the
soil conditions, and is cheaper than a strip
foundation. I also did not include a basement,
which furthers eliminates need for a strip
foundation.
The area of my foundation was 40’ by 80’,
as well as 10.75” thick. This came to a volume of
34,400 cubic feet, or 1,274.5 cubic yards. Concrete is sold by the ½ cubic yard, and
costs $98.23 per cubic yard. This came to a total concrete cost of $125,194.14.
Next was the rebar, which is bought in 10’ sections, and placed every 2 feet. A
foundation of this size required 360 10’ lengths, purchased at 4.65 per section. My total
cost of rebar came to $1,674.

Conclusion
This project was a huge undertaking, but I feel that it was a moderate success. I
feel the interior design is very comfortable and accommodating, however I feel that
there is room to improve. There is significantly more room to improve in my site, which
was left largely unchanged due to time constraints. I think my floor plan is the best
aspect of my design, and it emphasizes the modern architecture style.
While I feel my house turned out well aesthetically, I feel that the other aspects of
this project are severely lacking. I had difficulties making my sheets, leading to me
running out of time to perfect (or even finish them). Overall, I feel this project has been a
great learning experience, and it has helped me realize how I can improve.